LEDs Magazine 40 Under 40 Profile: Aaron Van Damme
Nichia has been a leader and innovator in the LED sector going back to the invention of the phosphor-converted white LED. And our Strategies in Light market research has consistently named the company the leader, measured by revenue, in the packaged LED space.
Still, until a few years back, the company was very secretive and only sold its components through a direct sales force. It was extremely difficult to even learn details of new products despite clear evidence of the company’s prowess. Aaron Van Damme and his colleague Erik Swenson have helped the world learn more about Nichia and have also influenced the direction of the world’s largest manufacturer. For instance, Van Damme was involved with the development of the tunable mid-power LED launched in the fall of 2019.
Van Damme manages Nichia’s Atlanta, GA sales office and covers the US southeast as well as South America. He earned an electrical engineering degree from Kettering University and worked previously as an engineer at automaker General Motors.
Carrie Meadows | Editor-in-Chief, LEDs Magazine
Carrie Meadows has more than 20 years of experience in the publishing and media industry. She worked with the PennWell Technology Group for more than 17 years, having been part of the editorial staff at Solid State Technology, Microlithography World, Lightwave, Portable Design, CleanRooms, Laser Focus World, and Vision Systems Design before the group was acquired by current parent company Endeavor Business Media.
Meadows has received finalist recognition for LEDs Magazine in the FOLIO Eddie Awards, and has volunteered as a judge on several B2B editorial awards committees. She received a BA in English literature from Saint Anselm College, and earned thesis honors in the college's Geisel Library. Without the patience to sit down and write a book of her own, she has gladly undertaken the role of editor for the writings of friends and family.
Meadows enjoys living in the beautiful but sometimes unpredictable four seasons of the New England region, volunteering with an animal shelter, reading (of course), and walking with friends and extended "dog family" in her spare time.
Maury Wright | Editor in Chief
Maury Wright is an electronics engineer turned technology journalist, who has focused specifically on the LED & Lighting industry for the past decade. Wright first wrote for LEDs Magazine as a contractor in 2010, and took over as Editor-in-Chief in 2012. He has broad experience in technology areas ranging from microprocessors to digital media to wireless networks that he gained over 30 years in the trade press. Wright has experience running global editorial operations, such as during his tenure as worldwide editorial director of EDN Magazine, and has been instrumental in launching publication websites going back to the earliest days of the Internet. Wright has won numerous industry awards, including multiple ASBPE national awards for B2B journalism excellence, and has received finalist recognition for LEDs Magazine in the FOLIO Eddie Awards. He received a BS in electrical engineering from Auburn University.
